27.06.2023

Hexagon and Minera San Cristóbal S.A. deploy HxGN MineOperate OP Pro & HxGN MineProtect CAS & OAS in Bolivia

Hexagon’s Mining division has deployed a fleet management and safety implementation project with Minera San Cristóbal S.A. As part of this project, Hexagon deployed 65 HxGN MineOperate OP Pro systems, nearly 40 HxGN MineProtect Collision Avoidance Systems (CAS), and 30 HxGN MineProtect Operator Alertness Systems (OAS) to the San Cristóbal open pit mine operations in Lipez, Potosí Department, Bolivia.  

26.06.2023

QRC chief Ian Macfarlane plans to retire from role by end of 2023

After seven years at the helm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane announced today he will retire from the role at the end of the year.  

Market-Place-4.0 Liebherr

26.06.2023

New Liebherr R 9300: a cutting-edge 250-tonne mining excavator

New Liebherr R 9300 - a cutting edge 250-tonne mining excavator (credits: Liebherr)

• The R 9300 mining excavator – which premiered at Bauma 2022 – is now available for purchase and will enter serial production in 2024
• A pre-series performance test on site confirmed the excavator’s high performance with an average availability of 94%
• This latest machine uses 15% less fuel and improves fuel efficiency by 25% over that of the R 9250, Liebherr Mining’s previous 250-tonne class excavator

The R 9300 Generation 8 – the newest excavator in the Liebherr Mining range – can now be purchased. Following successful validation at a mine in Indonesia, the R 9300 has proven its ability to improve both productivity and efficiency on site. Once the machine enters serial production in 2024, it will replace the R 9250 within the 250-tonne class.

The R 9300 is the second Generation 8 excavator in Liebherr’s product range and as such comes with the latest Liebherr Mining technology as standard. This technology provides the machine with improved onsite performance as well as compatibility with Liebherr’s Assistance Systems and future product enhancements such as automation, zero emission technologies, and digital services.

Production study in Indonesia: proven efficiency and productivity benefits

As part of the validation phase for the R 9300, Liebherr Mining partnered with its customer PT Karunia Armada Indonesia (Karunia) to establish the capabilities of the excavator on site. Karunia – a mining contractor based in East Kalimantan, Indonesia – began operating a pre-series unit of the R 9300 in September 2022 to remove and load overburden into 100- and 130-tonne trucks at the Tabang mine.

Since September 2022, the R 9300 has averaged 486 operational hours per month and 94% availability – surpassing Karunia’s KPIs for the machine. These results highlight the true potential of the excavator for improving onsite productivity.

To further demonstrate the capabilities of the R 9300, a production study of the pre-series excavator at Tabang mine was conducted in March 2023. During the study, the R 9300 achieved a 26-second average cycle time, helping the excavator reach instantaneous productivity of 1,371 bank cubic metres (BCM) per hour (3,017 tonnes per hour) – an impressive result for an excavator in the 250-tonne class. The R 9300 also attained a fuel efficiency ratio of 9.22 BCM per litre of fuel burned. When considered alongside the productivity of the machine, this establishes the next-level efficiency of the R 9300.

Effective drivetrain: 25% improved fuel efficiency and electric drivetrain in development

As a result of Liebherr Mining’s commitment to reducing emissions, the R 9300 has been designed to lower fuel consumption, and therefore decrease the amount of greenhouse gasses emitted by the machine. The R 9300’s engine is available in FCO and US EPA Tier 4/EU Stage V compliant versions (with SCR after-treatment technology) to adhere to strict international emissions standards.

Liebherr Power Efficiency (LPE) – a proprietary engine and hydraulics management system that helps to decrease the amount of fuel a machine consumes while maintaining optimal productivity and performance – comes as standard in the R 9300. With this system, the R 9300 reduces fuel consumption by 15% when compared to its predecessor, the R 9250. Further, this decrease in fuel consumption contributes to a 25% increase of fuel efficiency for the R 9300 compared to Liebherr’s previous 250-tonne excavator.
An electric-drive version of the R 9300 is currently under development and will be available in the near future.

Latest design: improved attachment, service life, and operator comfort

To increase productivity and efficiency, a range of design improvements have been implemented in the R 9300, setting this new machine apart from other excavators in the 250-tonne class.

The R 9300 has an updated attachment design that is lighter and stronger than that of the R 9250. The new attachment comes with high-performance components such as a new stick and boom design and aluminium covers all installed as standard. This lean design has enabled an increase in bucket size in both the backhoe and face shovel configurations. The standard bucket sizes of 16.5 m3 in backhoe configuration and 16 m3 in face shovel configuration (at 1.8t/m3 with the heavy-duty wear package) make the excavator an effective pass match for trucks with 100-, 130-, and 180-tonne payloads.

The R 9300 has also been designed for simplified maintenance and a longer service life. This excavator shares parts commonality with Liebherr’s current excavators to help minimise maintenance costs and streamline onsite inventory. The lifespan of the R 9300 has been increased by 33% above the R 9250 from 45,000 to 60,000 hours. Extending the service life of the R 9300 helps the machine to better align with the service life of major excavator components.

Further improvements can be found in the cab design of the R 9300. The new cab includes enhanced cabin ergonomics, larger touch screens, a new control panel design, and optimised visibility to help promote operator wellbeing while increasing safety.

The R 9300 will enter serial production in 2024, with the backhoe configuration available from Q1 and the face shovel configuration from Q2.

Source: Liebherr

#mineral resources #raw materials #extraction #Indonesia (ID) #Liebherr #Mining #surface mining, quarrying #Machinery for Mining and Construction #excavators

                     

23.06.2023

Fugro to use new technology in site investigation for French DGEC and RTE Sud-Atlantique wind farms

The Directorate General of Energy and Climate (DGEC) from the French Ministry of Energy Transition and RTE (Réseau de Transport d’Electricité) have awarded Fugro a ground investigation campaign to support the development of future wind farms in the Sud-Atlantique zone of the Bay of Biscay. The Geo-data acquired during the investigation will be used by pre-selected developers for their preliminary engineering design studies and future tenders.  

23.06.2023

Sweden cancels renewable energy targets, Britain should follow

Net Zero Watch welcomed the decision of the Swedish government to cancel its targets for “100% renewable energy” supply and shift to a more technology neutral aspiration for “100% fossil-free” energy provision.